In a time before video games ruled the earth, there were board games. Board games, just like video games, include suitable age ranges for the potential players. Monopoly is more suitable for teenagers and older adults. Uno can be played by like 5 year olds, and Risk is somewhere in between. You can think of that being the equivalent to M, E, and Teen in game rating terms.
That leaves me with a question. Does the age range of the game determine the level of fun? Of course it doesn’t. It seems like Nintendo gets a lot of flack for this though, and it only appears to be the case here in the US. Why is that? Do we feel more manly based on the type of games we play? It seems like we could remember that it is just a video game born out of Pong and Donkey Kong. I propose that it’s time for American gamers to “grow up” from their nerdy ways.
Don’t judge your image based on the maturity of the video game you play. Take games for what they should be: an enjoyable pastime. Whether it’s Monopoly, Risk, or Uno. If you’re embarrassed to say you actually enjoyed Mario Party, maybe you should stop playing games altogether.